1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise equipment. More precisely, the present invention relates to an exercise system incorporating a spotting fixture and a free weight or exercise baton.
2. Prior Art and Related Information
Exercise equipment dedicated to all varieties of purposes have become very popular as health and fitness have become more important to our lives. What started with dumbbells and free weights have evolved into suspended weights, and what are commonly referred to as UNIVERSAL GYMS. Complicated machines were developed to work specific muscle groups. For example, one type of apparatus simulates cross-country skiing, thus giving a low impact aerobic exercise without requiring the user to leave the comforts of home. Another exercise machine known as a NAUTILUS machine uses variable resistance applied at different stages of each rep of the exercise.
Most exercise equipment are tailored to work on a specific muscle group; e.g., those located in an individual's midsection. For instance, one common suspended weight system permits a user to perform stomach crunches. In such an exercise regime, the user is seated and his or her legs are hooked in an immobile position; the upper torso displaces weight resistance toward his knees as he pivots at the waist. This type of stomach crunch exercise is beneficial for building firm abdominal muscles as well as strengthening lower back muscles. Of course, a simple sit-up bench where the feet hook under horizontal posts is well-known in the art for strengthening abdominal muscles.
Another frequently seen exercise apparatus for building external oblique muscles in the midsection also relies on suspended weights. In such a machine, the user is seated while the upper torso rotates left and right. The rotational motion of the upper torso pushes against weight resistance, which motion lifts the suspended weights. This machine, as in most conventional suspended weight machines, uses cable and pulley mechanisms to transfer weight into mechanical resistance.
There are also other attempts at exercising the abdominal muscles as well as the external oblique muscles in the midriff. One design is a simple bowl-shaped seat in which the user sits. The bowl shape assists the user in doing sit-ups by helping him rock forward during the lifting part of the sit-up.
Another device for working out midsection fat, of questionable efficacy however, is the motorized belt. The belt wraps around a user's waist and is driven by a motor to reciprocate back and forth around the waist. The reciprocating belt purportedly exercises the midsection thereby removing fat.
Nothing in the art is simply constructed, easy to use, or can function as an inanimate spotter. Hence, a need presently exists for a midsection exercise apparatus.
The present invention is well suited for trimming the waist, providing a platform for other midsection workouts, and functioning as a spotter. The present invention is also simple in construction, yet highly innovative.